Comments on: S&W M&P15-22: A .22 LR Tactical Rifle

By: Ric

Ric — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:17:53 +0000

I just purchased the SW M&P15/22 and also a CORE AR15-MOE. I love both guns but I haven’t cleaned a AR15/ M16 or 22 since I was in the military many years ago. Does anyone have any good websites that show basic breakdown and cleaning of either gun? I remember most of it but a good review would be great. Also, the CORE rifle is the new piston model so cleaning this is completely new to me since we didn’t have that technology available in the service when I was in. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: cach

cach — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:26:06 +0000

I recently purchased a MP-15 it is a shooter. At 50 yds. you can shoot
one inch groups. Have not tried at 100 yds. ,waiting to get a scope. It is simple to operate, light weight and has the ability to add all kinds of goodies.
So far worth the money.

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: Robert Jones

Robert Jones — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:30:33 +0000

I took delivery of a Performance Center MP15-22 yesterday. When I checked the bore it looked terrible. I attempted to clean it with Shooters Choice Lead Remover and a Deweys bore brush. The first time I tried to get a patch through it I had to use a .177 rod because the .22 rod would not fit. After 8 hours of lead removal it still was not clean. The chamber still has 2 big lumps of lead in it and there are ribbons of lead down the rifling. I have called Smith and Wesson a dozen times and finally managed to talk to a human being twice and there has NOT been on offer to do anything about this rifle. The dealer I bought it from is a one man shop and he had the rifle a week. He says he never shoots new guns and no one else has access. The transfer dealer does not have a range and they had the rifle for an hour and a half. This rifle was shipped from Smith & Wesson the way I received it. It needs a new barrel and I have not fired it yet. I am not sure I want another S&W firearm. I have 5 other Performance Center firearms, but if this is what comes out of the shop now I don’t want anymore.

Please rate this comment: 1 0

By: mparizek

mparizek — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:50:57 +0000

if i buy the conversion kit will it fit my rock river AR

Please rate this comment: 0 1

By: Tanner

Tanner — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:23:51 +0000

@ Brandon,

http://www.gem-tech.com/store/pc/G5-22-13p78.htm

remember that you have to pay a Federal Tax of something like $200 on top of getting the suppressor, and I hear it takes about 3-6 months to get approved. If you contact Gemtech they will know more about it than I do.

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: brandon

brandon — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:05:25 +0000

im looking for a suppressor for my m&p 15 22 i want it silent to take down groups of squirrels sounds dumb but they all move and dont come back until the garbage is everywhere or anything to quiet muzzle noise thank you!

Please rate this comment: 0 1

By: Rick Magalotti

Rick Magalotti — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:55:14 +0000

Oh, a few more things,
Just prior to my buying my M&P 15-22 Competition at Midwest Gun, they took delivery on at least 39 of the that model. Mine is from that shipment. So, the spring in my bolt is blue and the extractor is the upgraded one as was mentioned by Ladyfox in the following discussion:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/07/31/sw-mp-15-22-kaboom/
Anyway, at that link, it is also mentioned that in the latest owners manual, S&W recommends not shooting certain brands of ammo and one of them is Remington Golden Bullets. RATS, I just bought 2 boxes (550 rounds each) of them on sale. I’ve only been shooting Federals and thought there would be no difference with the Remingtons.

Please rate this comment: 0 1

By: Rick Magalotti

Rick Magalotti — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:46:35 +0000

Bought my M&P 15-22 Competition on Wednesday for $379 on sale at Midwest Gun Exchange in Mishawaka, In. Perfect out of the box with no blemishes. All parts worked with no issues. Cleaned and lubed it that night along with lubing the mag.

Put 200 rounds thru it the next day with only one Fail to Fire using Walmart’s Federal Value Pack (550 rounds) hollow points. I wasn’t that careful with loading the mag and just retracted it an inch at a time to drop in rounds and then let it spring shut to organize the rounds. Had ZERO Fail to Ejects and ZERO Fail to Feeds. Rapid fired my last mag with no problems.

The day after that, went to range to zero in the sights – very easy to do with the rear sight adjustments. My target was at 40 feet and my groupings were about 1.5 inches. Put another 75 rounds thru it with ZERO issues.

This is a great gun!!! Very happy, went out today and bought 3 more mags and more ammo. I would definitely recommend this gun.

Please rate this comment: 1 0

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:16:20 +0000

1 round also exploded in the chamber. after only 36 rounds

Look at the pictures, Steve posted them

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/07/31/sw-mp-15-22-kaboom/

Eric

Please rate this comment: 0 1

By: Tanner

Tanner — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:10:53 +0000

@ Mike Sasser

I think that Spikes Tactical and Bravo Company Manufacturing are pretty good for the price. I built my own .223 rifle using a lot of their parts as well as many from the other manufacturers. My upper receiver is Bravo Company and my lower receiver is Spikes Tactical and they have both been great so far.

As for ammo cost you can’t beat the S&W 15-22 though. I bought mine when I first got home from the Army and while it was fun it didn’t fill the void left by not having my M4 anymore. But now that I have my AR -15 that I built to satisfy my .223 needs I am completely content to buy a 400 count box of .22lr ammo for my 15-22 at $17, and view it as training for my AR. If that makes sense.

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: Mike Sasser

Mike Sasser — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:12:20 +0000

Hey I got the M & P-22 and Like it! but I also want a rifle that shoots 223 I see all the Names. But for the Buck just starting out what is the best for starting out?

Please rate this comment: 1 0

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:04:46 +0000

Bought my M&P15-22 Standard Version for $433.54 including 6% sales tax. Extra mags $19.00 each. Removed the front & rear sights and installed an Aimpoint Comp XD with 2 moa red dot. Also removed the factory trigger springs & installed JP Reduced Power AR Hammer/Trigger/Disconnector Spring Set ($10.75), which cleaned up the trigger pull. In the near future I will install a JP Reduced Power Trigger Group 3-3.5 lb pull.

If you really want reliability, don’t use hollow points. They have a tendency to slightly mushroom when feeding into the chamber. Also, look at all your rounds when you are loading the mag, the hollow points are sometime crooked or slightly mashed at the tip and this will cause feeding problems or jams. The most reliable ammo is Federal American Eagle or CCI Standard Velocity 40gr. lead round nose. The ammo is also lubed very well. The other thing is keep the ammo out of the sun when possible because the lube on all ammo becomes sticky and will cause feeding problems. Cheap ammo causes problems & provide much reduced accuracy.

I have 7,431 rounds through my gun without a hitch. I use it for competition and it has served me well to date. It shoots sub 1″ groups consistently at 50 yds. from the bench. Keep it clean, clean, clean, 22 ammo is dirty and you have a blow back system. Load the mags the way S&W says and tap the loaded mag a few times on the backside to make sure the ammo is all seated. Clean the mags often especially if your in a dusty, high humidity, or wet environment (like shooting in the rain or snow). Also notice that your rounds in the mag are slightly staggered, if all are not then you will get a FTF or a jam that’s why you should tap the mags to make sure the rounds are seated & staggered.

Like all ARs’ pay attention to the little things and keep it clean and lightly lubed.

This comment has been well-received! What do you think? 4 0

By: J.D.

J.D. — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:08:59 +0000

Had mine back for couple months since I broke it in half, look at your lower and find narrowiest point…thats where it broke…but anyway since getting it back ,they did some work on ejector i guess cause i can load it w/winchester(which is mostly all I use) & half way down clip I feed a 1990′s manufactored remington .22 bullet(I keep old ammo along with everything else)….and when firing rapid it goes right thru clip…so sending back to S&W to fix any failures is a good thing…now on maybe to a 308

Please rate this comment: 1 0

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:20:10 +0000

I bought my MP 15 on the 4th of july and took it out yesturday. Right out of the box, 350 rounds of remington thunderbolts and only one problem which was a FTF, (which had a good strike). Love this gun, the A2 sights were sighted in about 3 inches low at 50 yards. I put out 5 inch groups at 50 yards, not my best shooting but considering I just bought the thing not too shabby. I paid $429 after taxes because whats more american than buying a good rifle for cheap on the 4th?

Please rate this comment: 1 0

By: Hankster

Hankster — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 19:50:50 +0000

I bought my S&W MP 15-22 in early May and replaced the trigger with a Rock River Arms 2 stage and recently added a BSA Cats Eye 3X12 44 MM scope with parallax correction capability ($100) and am having a ball with this gun. I exclusively use CCI mini-mag 22 LR ammo and after about 2,000 rounds not a single issue with the gun or ammo.

The only thing wrong with this gun from the factory is its 900 lb trigger pull which significantly reduces accuracy but the RRA trigger solved that. Took 20 mins to swap out the new trigger.

Note the S&W barrell is match grade with 1 in 16 twist while my RRA AR-15 .223/5.56 is a 1 in 9 twist so the S&W is optimized for 22 LR.

My buddy has a conversion kit that he thought was very accurate for a 22 and was proud of his 4″ groupings at 50 yards. Needless to say I can get 1.5″ groups with my MP 15-22 using iron sights at 50 yards and someone with better eyes/reflexes could get a smaller group than that.

Another point previously raised is I don’t want to waste a bunch of 5.56 ammo at $.50 per round plus put wear and tear on my relatively expensive RRA AR-15 when I can have a boat load of fun shooting my S&W. Walmart sells the CCI mini-mag ammo for $6.57 per 100 plus tax and it takes me about 1/3 as long to clean my S&W as it does my AR-15. Also, on rainy days, most indoor ranges will let you shoot a 22 LR rifle but I’ve never hear of an indoor ranges allowing and AR-15 shooting 5.56/.223 ammo.

The MP 15-22 is a great little carbine and I love mine!

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: rob

rob — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:15:43 +0000

update:
i bought more rounds at Dicks sporting goods. I got a box of 525 Blazer .22LR for $19.99.
I shot off a quick 100 rounds to test the quality, not one problem.
I still have not cleaned the rifle and have 600 rounds through it with only 1 FTF at 150 rounds.
Having fun while saving money, can’t beat that.

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: rob

rob — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:49:23 +0000

I shoped around looking for an AR type rifle but with the price of 5.56 and 7.62 ammo i liked that this rifle shoots .22 rounds at $17.00 for 500.
I realize this got bad reps at first, but that was due to the earlier design which they corrected, plus certain ammo is NOT reccommended for this weapon, it even states this in the owners manual and provides the names of the ammo not to use, mainly Winchester and Remington.
I bought this gun for $424.95 yesterday at my local gun shop here in Maine, i also bought an extra clip ( $20.95 ) and a cleaning kit for $21.95.
I took this gun to the range with my 14 year old daughter and her friend.
ACCURATE ACCURATE ACCURATE.
From 145-160 feet all 3 of us were hitting a quarter size mark!
I did not clean this weapon before shooting it, it was right out of the box and after 150 rounds only 1 FTF and another 350 rounds with zero problems!!!!!
Plus when i do decide to spend the extra money for a real AR 5.56 or 7.62 i will be familar with it because this mp15-22 is excatly like an AR in almost every way!
I HIGHLY reccomend this rifle for anyone wanting a low cost operating expense while having loads of fun.
Good luck and safe shooting.

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: The Dude

The Dude — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:14:22 +0000

Ok, so after reading extensively, I picked up a 15-22 MOE (magpul version). First thing I did, and I know this isn’t common practice any more, I READ THE MANUAL… In it, it even has a pretty good list of ammo that’s know to work and ammo that isn’t. Further examination reveals that subsonic ammo won’t work the action, which explains away some of the complaints right off the bat. Also, like my H&Ks, it suggests running good quality HV ammo to break it in (+P ammo in the H&Ks). You know, cause things tend to be a bit stiff from the factory.

I also, like always, immediately stripped and thoroughly cleaned it. Even took the mag down to clean, lube, load and let sit overnight. READ how to properly load the mags both in the manual and in numerous reviews.

Took her out, put 200 CCI mini-mags through her with no problems then on to the federal value 525 pack. Had so much fun shooting it with the wife and son we ended up shooting off the whole box with only one FTF which didn’t seem to be caused by a bad strike. The strike mark was there and pretty deep when I manually ejected it, so I’ll give that one to cheap ammo. I assume this one came with the “updated specs” already which I’m grateful for. We’ll be out again very soon, for sure.

A suggestion for those with problems, try cleaning her, including the mag, using good ammo (at least for break-in) and correctly loading the mag. If you still have problems, send it back. I know, it’s terrible, I don’t know if I could go a weekend without either, but hey you should get a good working 15-22 and 2 extra clips in return… Also, I’ve heard that some mags may have problems feeding. This isn’t unheard of, even for an AR or AK. Hell, a buddy’s XCR has a mag that won’t feed more than 3 rounds without failure, yet every other mag feeds flawlessly. Oh, and watch your hand position, don’t use the mag as a grip. You can stop feeding by unintentionally holding the load assist button.

I guess I have no aversion to polymer, or plastic as the haters prefer (because of it’s obvious negative connotation), being a happy H&K owner and handling more than a few Glocks. Never had a problem with them and my polymer .45 doesn’t feel any more like a toy than my 1911 when I’m shooting it. With exception to the unbeatable trigger pull of the 1911, I prefer shooting the H&K and can shoot more accurate groups for longer spans because of the weight difference (even with a “worse” trigger). I just seem to get the shakes less violently and not as quickly.

And to address the .22 conversion deal. I admit I haven’t done a terrible amount of research, but the 15-22 is more functional that any .22 conversion I’ve seen. Usually something doesn’t work correctly. Everything works (sans the unnecessary front assist, which was removed) and with exception to the weight, felt recoil, etc… feels basically like the real deal. Also, who in their right mind would put an .22 conversion on their LMT .308 AR? Sorry, but $469.99 (for the MOE version, I remind you), seems like a better deal that dirtying up my AR with cheap .22 ammo for a few bucks less. That and the fact that my boy can’t even hold the LMT steady, yet he can sure shoot some cans with the not much heavier than his BB gun 15-22. At least for short periods…

So, I know this was rather long winded, but there you have it. My biased (given I haven’t had any malfunctions yet and the level of fun had by the family) review of the 15-22.

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: J.D.

J.D. — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:02:28 +0000

I was completely satisfied w/my M&P 15-22,had a few ftf, but usually empty clips w/no failures…had it for maybe 6 months…Smith and Wesson I heard would stand firm behind this gun…as I broke it completely in half riding in my golf cart,hit a limb and just snapped in half,worse case senario…S&W werent too optomistic when I called them, but took gun to my auth. S&W dealer shipped it out,their staff at store were optomistic..several weeks later ,a brand new lower/with extra clip @ no cost..Thanks to S&W…they do stand behind their product!!!

Please rate this comment: 0 0

By: Julio

Julio — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:48:30 +0000

I may have to dive in and get one of these bad boys.

I was considering the Remington Target Tactical with the heavy barrel and the Hogue Grip but the larger capacity magazine has my attention and if it’s as accurate as people are reporting, that’s good enough for me. Seems like a fun plinker.

Please rate this comment: 0 0